Carragher demands Liverpool improve as rivals edge away in the title race

05 Oct 2009 11:08:23

Jamie Carragher has reacted to Liverpool's defeat to Chelsea by conceding that his side are behind their Premier League title rivals and demanding both he and his team-mates improve quickly in order to close the gap.
The Reds crashed to a 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge - their third in the league already this season - thanks to goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda and Carragher spelled out that any mistake can prove costly against the top sides.
'I thought we played quite well and done alright for most of the game yet we have still come away with a 2-0 defeat,' he said. 'It's the small details that are so important at this level and we know that there are certain areas we have got to improve. There's a gap at the top and we've got to close it.
'Games against Chelsea are notoriously tight and a bit of quality or a mistake is always going to be the thing that turns it one way or another. But we have lost the ball in midfield for their first and I felt myself that I should have done a bit better for their second one.'
Chelsea's win leaves Liverpool six points behind the Blues at the top of the Premier league and Carragher admits that if Rafa Benitez's side still hold ambitions of winning the title they must get back on track after the international break with wins against Sunderland and Manchester United.
'It's never nice to lose before an international break, particularly a game as big as this, but we have got to put it behind us,' said Carragher. 'It would have been good to send the international lads away with a bit of a buzz but it wasn't to be and now it's a case of putting it behind us.
'When we get back to it, we have got a massive week coming up with those games against Sunderland, United and Lyon. But every week you have as a Liverpool player is massive and we know we'll have to be at our best to get going again at Sunderland, as they are in good form.'